Ebola survivors face a host of difficulties, including problems with fertility. Chief Medical Director of First Consultants Hospital in Lagos, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri says, “Even if they are able to conceive when you get pregnant it is difficult to carry and deliver it.”
Patrick Oliver Sawyer died with the unfortunate record of being the index-case victim of Ebola in Nigeria. He carried Ebola into Nigeria during the 2014 outbreak of the deadly disease in West Africa. Although Sawyer notified the Liberian authorities of his exposure to the virus, Liberia allowed him to attend a conference in Nigeria.
The devastating result of this was the death of the doctor who first treated him, Dr.Ameyo Adadevoh, a nurse and 7 others. Nineteen people contracted the illness because of Sawyers’ arrival in Nigeria. Dr Ada Igonoh was one of the lucky survivors.
The birth of Ada's baby is something to celebrate. Ohiaeri was buoyant when he addressed a press conference, pointing out that, “Last year we were visited with the deadly disease, one year later, by the grace of God we were saved from national calamity.
Ada’s baby weighed slightly over four kilograms at birth and according to reports from the Greater El-Monte Community Hospital in California, both mother and child are doing well. Ada travelled to the USA when she reached her 28th week of pregnancy to facilitate medical monitoring.
Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri spoke to Nigerian newspaper The Trentonline, in October 2014, about his concern for Ada. At the time, he said that he had "adopted her as his daughter." She hadstarted workingin the hospitalless than one month before the outbreak. Her job was to monitor the sick people in the isolation ward before she herself occupied one of the beds.
Nurse Justine, one of the first members of the hospital staff to die from the virus introduced by Sawyer passed away in Ada’s arms.
Ada’s husband Godwin Igonoh expressed his relief that his wife and daughter are fine. He has been communicating with her throughout the birth ordeal.
The hospital in California will not release mother and child until further testing and observations are carried out.
When the miracle baby does land on her home soil for the first time, Nigeria will have much to celebrate.
Dr Ohiaeri ascribes the birth to divine intervention and went on say, “She survived the deadly virus and started taking care of other colleagues and also got pregnant and now gave birth.”
If there is any good news to come out the Ebola outbreak, the birth of this Nigerian baby heads the top of the list.
